People

Psyche Loui

Associate Professor

Psyche Loui is Associate Professor of Creativity and Creative Practice in the Department of Music at Northeastern University’s College of Arts, Media and Design. She is Director of the MIND Lab and enjoys asking questions about how the mind enables music, and what we can learn from musical functions of the brain. When not teaching and conducting research, she enjoys playing the violin.

Benjamin Kubit

Benjamin Kubit is a postdoctoral researcher in the MIND Lab. He received his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of California, Davis. His research leverages common musical phenomena to investigate how the human brain acquires, structures, and preserves knowledge as we carry out our day-to-day tasks. Ben’s work examines questions about how music and episodic knowledge become associated in long-term memory, and how the brain functionally represents and consolidates music and associated memories across time. When not conducting research, Ben enjoys finding new places to eat and listen to live music around Boston.

Nicholas Kathios

Nicholas Kathios is a Psychology Ph.D student working in the MIND lab. He received his B.A. in Psychology and Music from Columbia University. His research interests lie in the realm of reward, emotion, and autobiographical memory, particularly as they relate to music. In his free time Nick enjoys playing the French horn.

Kelsie Lopez

Kelsie is a Psychology PhD student working in the MIND Lab. She received her A.B. in Psychology from Brown University. She studies the ways in which the early home musical environment can have lasting effects on cognition and behavior, with an additional focus on how music can be used as a tool for resiliency and stress regulation in the face of adverse events. Outside of research, you can find Kelsie running through the streets of Boston, going to shows and exploring new music, and spending time in nature.

Jinyu Wang

Jinyu is a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Design and Media, working in MIND lab. She received a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Central South University and Hunan Normal University in China. Her research interests focus on individual differences in musical reward sensitivity and how music can be harnessed to assist individuals with neurocognitive disorders. During her free time, she has a passion for exploring new sports, with her current favorites including swimming, yoga, badminton, and ping-pong.

Arun Asthagiri

Arun Asthagiri is an Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD student working in the MIND lab. He is interested in uncovering and enriching the mechanisms through which live music alters our brain and body. With a background in violin performance from the New England Conservatory, Arun has a passion for performing, collaborating and jamming with other musicians.

Xiaotong (Eva) Wu

Eva is a Research Assistant and Lab Manager in the MIND Lab. She received her M.A. from the University of Chicago and her B.A. in Psychology and Music at Wake Forest University. Eva is interested in learning how music can be used to improve health and wellbeing. Outside of the lab, you can find her playing random piano/clarinet pieces, singing cheesy musical theater songs, finding new recipes to cook, and rock climbing.

Jakob Laats

Jakob is a full time research assistant in the lab. He has an engineering background but is very interested in psychology, neuroscience, and music. Outside of research, Jakob likes to run, hike, and write music.

Corinna Parrish

Corinna is a Research Assistant in the MIND Lab and an undergraduate student in the class of 2024 at Northeastern University. As a combined Psychology and Music major with a minors in Health Psychology and Songwriting, Corinna is interested in music-based interventions and improving wellbeing through music listening and participation. Outside of the MIND Lab, you can find Corinna running around Boston, co-hosting her campus radio show, or playing guitar with her fellow NEU musicians!

Peter Benson

Peter Benson is in the Class of 2024 at Northeastern University studying Computer Science and Music Technology. He is particularly interested in the psychology of musical reward and the social aspects of music. Outside of the MIND Lab, Peter is the Head of Recording for Green Line Records, Northeastern’s student-run record label. He also enjoys baking bread and playing bass.

Felicia He

Felicia is in the Class of 2024 at Harvard University and studies Human Evolutionary Biology and Government. She is interested in evolution as it relates to music, particularly through concepts like prosocial behavior and cross-cultural evolution. She can be found eating good food, taking the 1 Bus to New England Conservatory (where she is pursuing a degree in piano performance), and asking strangers for their Spotify.

Amira Toivonen

Amira is a research assistant at the MIND Lab and is in the class of 2025 at Northeastern University, currently studying health science and psychology. On a pre-health track, she is interested in applying music-based interventions in a clinical setting and studying neural pathways that coincide with music and wellbeing. Outside of the MIND lab, you can find her singing, petting any animal, reading, playing the bass clarinet, or planning her next international adventure!

Quincy Dillard

Quincy is a Psychology & Music major at Northeastern University, and is actively involved in the choral society and the Unisons student a cappella group.

Ziyan (Annie) Zhao

Ziyan (Annie) Zhao is a Research Assistant in the MIND Lab and Northeastern University undergraduate (class of 2025) with a combined major in Psychology and Music. She is fascinated by the emotional nuances and influence of music and aspires to explore its therapeutic potential, particularly in music therapy. Annie enjoys R&B and classical tunes, sings in Accapella, and spends her free time mastering piano and guitar.

Sherry Wang

Sherry is a medical student at Boston University School of Medicine with an interest in primary care and Neurology. She received her B.S. in Psychobiology with a minor in Musicology from UCLA and took a gap year researching at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Munich and at NYU Langone. She is excited about MIND lab’s work investigating the neural underpinnings of musical processes and their potential applications in the management of chronic neurological conditions. In her free time, she enjoys playing music, record collecting, and anything performing arts.

Hannah Weibley

Hannah is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Department of Neurology. She received her M.A. in Psychology at Boston University, and earned her B.A. and B.M. in Psychology and Music with an Outside Field of Study in Neuroscience at Ithaca College, respectively. She joined the MIND Lab as a volunteer research assistant to continue exploring her interests in utilizing music-based interventions to mitigate the progression of cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In her free time, Hannah enjoys crocheting, playing her cello, and cuddling with her cats, Loki and Goose.

Jethro R. Lee

Jethro R. Lee is an undergraduate in the class of 2025 at Northeastern University majoring in data science and psychology while minoring in music performance. He loves to explore how art can be perceived as a science by using data science’s interdisciplinary potential to delve into creative topics such as scrutinizing music cognition, assessing Spotify’s algorithms, as well as employing machine learning methods to classify the styles of composers such as Chopin. In his free time, he loves playing his three instruments (the viola, violin, and piano), reading dystopian novels, and playing Genshin Impact.

Saniya Burman

Saniya (she/her) is an undergraduate student in the class of 2026 at Northeastern University studying Neuroscience and minoring in data science on the pre-medicine track. She is interested in topics such as neurology, cognitive development, brain imaging/radiology, and how music based interventions can help in a clinical setting. In her free time, Saniya enjoys spending time with friends/family, exploring new places, watching the sunset, playing the piano/viola, and listening to music. 🙂

Ella Kosowicz

Ella is a Research Assistant at the MIND Lab and in the class of 2025 at Northeastern University. Currently, she is studying health science and is on the pre-medicine track with an interest in psychology. She has a life-long love of music and is interested in its effects on emotion and well-being. Outside of the lab you can find her speed walking through campus, taking pictures of food, and singing the song currently stuck in her head.

Sabrina Chevlin

Sabrina is a Research Assistant at the MIND lab, studying Psychology and Music at Northeastern University, with a minor in International Affairs. With specific interests in exploring the neural mechanisms underlying music perception and the effects of music on cognitive processes, Sabrina hopes to discover how music can be a tool for healing and rehabilitation. During her free time, Sabrina enjoys singing and playing her guitar, advocating for environmental and geopolitical causes, writing, and mixing music.

Parker Tichko

Parker Tichko was a post-doctoral researcher in the MIND Lab. His research interests include music cognition, auditory neuroscience, dynamical systems theory, and developmental systems theory. Outside of the MIND Lab, he is musician, composer, and producer, and he likes to collect old, analog synthesizers in his spare time. Prior to graduate school, he worked in the music manufacturing industry and wrote a book about music education and computer music.

Alex Belden

Alex Belden was a Biology PhD student working in the MIND lab, with a particular interest in functional MRI research. He is currently working on measuring group differences in the resting state functional connectivity of jazz musicians, classical musicians, and the minimally musically trained. Alex has a Bachelors of science in Biopsychology from Tufts University, where he also minored in music, as well as a Masters of arts in Biology from Wesleyan University. In his free time, Alex enjoys singing, spending time with friends, and playing dungeons and dragons.

Milena Quinci

Milena Quinci is a Research Assistant and Lab Manager at the MIND Lab. She has an interest in understanding the effect that music has on cognition and affective disorders, specifically in older adults. Milena holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in Music from Emmanuel College and a Master of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Reading. In her free time, Milena enjoys playing the cello, running, and reading.

Nicole Page

Nicole Page is part of the class of 2023 at Northeastern University where she is studying biochemistry as well as Spanish and English. As a musician and a pre-med student, she is particularly interested in how various types of therapy involving music might have clinical applications. Outside of the MIND lab, Nicole is a an E-Board member for the Innovators for Global Health club, an active member of ACES, a community service group, and a flute player in various ensembles on campus. On the weekends, you can find her doing Pilates and watering her many plants.

Ritu Amarnani

Ritu Amarnani is an undergraduate student in Northeastern Class of 2023, majoring in health sciences with minors in biology and nutrition. She is passionate about science, particularly concerning humans, including anatomy, neuroscience, and psychology. Her outside interests include running and knitting.

Laine Koenig

Laine is a Research Assistant in the MIND Lab and an undergraduate student at Northeastern University studying Psychology and Music. She is interested in exploring the relationship between music and the brain, especially in areas of personal wellbeing and broader social connection. She is also passionate about learning guitar, skiing, rock climbing, and meeting every dog she walks past.

Tia Ou

Tia Ou is a Research Assistant at the MIND Lab. She is in the class of 2022 at Beijing Normal University majoring Psychology. Tia is interested in 1) the shared cognitive and neural mechanisms of music and language processing and 2) how our brain and behaviors are changed by music and language experience. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, playing the piano, traveling, and watching classic films.

Itamar Zik

Itamar Zik is in the class of 2022 at Northeastern University where he studies Data Science and Psychology. Itamar is interested in the benefit music based interventions can have on cognition. Outside the MIND Lab, Itamar is the president of the mens club basketball team and spends his free time learning the piano or playing settlers of catan with his friends.

Jasper Olson

Jasper Olson is in the class of 2024 at Northeastern studying psychology and ethics. He is interested in the function of music as a social tool, as well as the accessibility and application of music-based interventions. Outside of the lab, he loves hiking, reading, singing, and spending time with trees.

Valerie Goutama

Valerie Goutama was a Research Assistant and Lab Manager at the MIND Lab. Valerie holds a Bachelor of science in Psychology from University of Massachusetts Boston with a deep interest in understanding how the human brain works at a neural level. In her daily life, she enjoys playing piano, listening to music, and learning new things.

Catherine Zhou

Catherine Zhou is a Northeastern undergraduate student studying Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry in the Class of 2024. She is interested in how long-term musical interventions affect development in the brain, and how this is further researched for clinical applications. In her free time, Catherine enjoys going out to cafes, and taking pictures on her 35mm film camera.

Yaen Chen

Yaen Chen is in the Class of 2022 at Northeastern University studying Behavioral Neuroscience and Bioinformatics from Rowland Heights, California. Yaen is interested in learning about the mechanisms in which musical participation can impact the brain neurophysiologically. Outside of classes, she enjoys dancing with Kinematix Dance Troupe, falling down YouTube rabbit holes, and drinking boba.

Roger Burtonpatel

Roger Burtonpatel is in the class of 2024 at Tufts University, where he plans to study Cognitive Science and Comparative Literature. As a neuro-enthusiast and long-time percussionist, he is particularly interested in the evolutionary benefits of internalized rhythmic processing. Outside of classes, you can usually find him drumming, watching foreign films, or telling his friends how cool the MIND lab is.

Michael Lazar

Michael Lazar is in the class of 2020 at Skidmore College, where he is studying neuroscience and physics. He has an interest in different techniques for neuroimaging. Outside of classes he enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and playing ultimate frisbee.

Dylan Gong

Dylan is a lab manager at MIND Lab. He is in the class of 2021 at Northeastern University studying Psychology. He is fascinated by biological therapeutic effects from non-pharmacological means like exercise, psychotherapy, music listening, etc. He is enthusiastic to learn about the effects and their underlying mechanisms via neuroscience. At home, Dylan likes to do research and experiment on Chinese food.

Diana Wang

Diana Wang is in the Class of 2020 at Harvard College concentrating in neurobiology and social anthropology. She is fascinated about how music affects neurodevelopment and plasticity, with a focus in emotional processing and social awareness. In the past Diana has worked on functional MRI projects, measuring anatomical differences in young musicians in the Suzuki School of Music. Outside of her academics, she is an active violinist in the Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra and the Brattle Street Chamber Players. Diana also enjoys baking and rock climbing on the side.

Dana Walker

Dana Walker holds a BS in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University, with minors in music and Spanish. Originally from CT, she will be traveling to London in the autumn to pursue an MS in Music, Mind, and Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London. Dana is interested in the effects of music on mental illness, as well as the importance of music education. When she’s not playing clarinet, she’s usually baking or using Photoshop.

Grace Wilson

Grace Wilson is in the Class of 2020 at Simmons University, where she studies Neuroscience & Behavior and Music History. After being fascinated by music therapy for several years, she is currently studying how music based interventions can activate the rewards system and improve symptoms in patients with cognitive impairments. Outside of her academics, she is the President of the Neuroscience and Psychology Liaison at Simmons, and enjoys playing trombone in the Colleges of the Fenway Orchestra. She loves to travel, and enjoys watching Netflix and reading in her spare time.

Jacob Ostapenko

Jacob Ostapenko was a Research Assistant at the MIND LAB and an undergraduate student in the class of 2025 at Northeastern University. Jacob is interested in understanding music-based interventions and their effects at different ages. Outside of the MIND Lab, you can find Jacob exploring the outdoors, rock climbing, or practicing instruments!